Search Results (123)

Decreed on 12 January 1570, the seminary of the diocese of Cape Verde was established in 1866 in the format of a Seminary-High School. In this paper, I analyse the projects for the establishment of the seminary in Cape Verde, unpacking the dynamics behind the failures before 1866. First, I discuss the period from the 1570s to the 1640s, with the Jesuits at the epicentre. I then examine why the seminary project went adrift thereafter. Finally, I explain the decisive role of Bishop José Luís Alves Feijó (1865–71) in the establishment of the Seminary-High School. I contend that, in the first phase (1570s–1640s), the project failed because the leaders of the Jesuit mission, influenced by racial and civilisational prejudices, deemed the natives unfit for refined theological training. Moreover, the Jesuit mission lacked the stability to undertake the project. After their departure in 1642, no ecclesiastical player before Bishop José Luís Alves Feijó demonstrated any meaningful commitment to the seminary project. The underlining thesis of this paper is that episcopal negligence (episcopal absenteeism prevailed) and the inability or unwillingness of different field players to compromise were primarily responsible for the failures of the projects to establish the seminary before 1866. Full article

Business schools, and universities more generally, find themselves within a constant tension between different and often conflicting institutional logics. Scholars have identified two primary and coexisting institutional logics in particular—an academic logic and a market logic—that universities must reconcile. To date, however, we still know little about how university leaders navigate persistent frictions between these institutional logics. To fill this gap, we conduct a grounded qualitative study of business schools’ top leaders who have recently introduced new revenue-generating programs. We develop a process model of institutional alignment that explains how leaders navigate and resolve tensions between competing logics over time. Our aim was to explore how these administrative leaders navigated frictions across institutional logics throughout the process of introducing, motivating, developing, and implementing these programs. We find that frictions between the competing institutional logics were indeed prominent in decision-makers’ minds and actions throughout the entire process. These frictions occurred at various levels, both within and outside the business school. To reduce these frictions, leaders describe employing adaptive strategies such as framing, collaboration, and structural adjustments to align the logics and position the new program as consistent with both. That is, the new programs are interpreted as institutional innovations that serve to align the logics. Full article

Many universities acknowledge a responsibility to address climate change and are actively working to meet this goal in academic programs and undergraduate curricula. This paper provides insights from interviews with university leaders from 20 American and Canadian institutions pursuing climate action via education. Interviewees described a range of initiatives, including new General Education requirements (GEs), cross-disciplinary courses, domain-specific classes, and certificate programs, as well as the establishment of dedicated climate schools. Pathways for curricular change include academic senate climate committees, top-down support from university leadership, bottom-up advocacy and activism from faculty and students, and opportunities to leverage evolving systems. To increase climate-teaching capacity, interviewees reported instituting team teaching, supporting faculty learning opportunities, hiring faculty with climate expertise, and partnering with organizations outside academia. Qualitative data collected during these interviews were thematically coded, revealing significant takeaways including the need to appropriately reward faculty for climate-teaching efforts and to recognize the complementary virtues of high-level courses like GEs with broad reach versus deeper dives for climate-related majors with targeted reach. This paper synthesizes advice from educators who succeeded in increasing climate education at their institutions and concludes with suggestions on how to integrate climate more fully into academia’s educational mission. Full article

Educational drones have become increasingly important in education and research due to their affordability, user-friendly design and control, and potential use as tools in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) learning. For example, CoDrone EDUs are used to teach basic programming principles and drone control to high school or university students. As drones in real-world applications often collaborate to solve problems, controlling multiple educational drones in a team is crucial and beneficial for enhancing students’ problem-solving and design skills. However, these educational drones primarily rely on one-to-one control via a radio-frequency remote controller, and programming libraries for coordinating multi-drone missions are limited, posing challenges for students or developers in controlling them effectively. To address the lack of control in missions with multiple educational drones, we present a drone control station (DCS), featuring a centralized architecture that connects and controls various drones. We first develop scenarios and use cases that utilize multiple drones, specifying the system requirements. We then design conceptual models and architectures for the DCS. Next, we implement the DCS and evaluate whether it achieves the team missions. Experimental results show that the DCS with the centralized architecture is suitable for team missions with multiple educational drones. We expect the approach in our work to serve as a method for controlling multi-drone missions in an educational environment. Full article

The University of Nanking, founded in the early 20th century by an American mission in Nanjing, China, boasts a unique blend of Chinese and Western architectural styles, making it a valuable subject of research. Currently part of Nanjing University’s Gulou Campus, it has been designated a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit by the Chinese government, which has also formulated a protection plan for the historical district of Nanking University. This paper uses this site as a case study, employing methods such as historical document review, on-site investigation, and architectural surveying to reveal a “growth-oriented” coordination mechanism between heritage preservation and development within the context of historical campus expansion. This mechanism involves maintaining the original spatial layout through adaptive reuse, presenting a development model of “new branches sprouting from an old trunk.” The study points out that campus expansion is the root cause of the “new versus old” contradiction in historical campuses, while the need for functional upgrades in school buildings is the driving force behind heritage preservation. Coordinating the development and functional optimization of new and old spaces can effectively enhance the vitality of historical campuses and achieve a balance between campus expansion and heritage preservation. This research provides a practical Chinese solution for the sustainable development of similar historical campuses. Full article

Public schools often operate with shared devices, unstable connectivity, and limited support for digital tools, which can make feature-heavy platforms difficult to adopt and sustain. This study reports the first formal design iteration and formative evaluation of VLEPIC, a school-centred virtual learning environment (VLE) developed to support secondary English as a Foreign Language in a low-resource Ecuadorian public school. Using a design-based research approach with a convergent mixed-methods design, one Grade 10 cohort (n = 42; two intact classes) used VLEPIC for one month as a complement to regular lessons. Data were collected through questionnaires on perceived usability and motivation, platform usage logs, and open-ended feedback from students and the teacher; results were analysed descriptively and thematically and then integrated to inform design decisions. Students reported high perceived usability and strong motivational responses in attention, relevance, and satisfaction, while confidence was more heterogeneous. Usage logs indicated recurrent but uneven engagement, with distinct low-, medium-, and high-activity profiles. Qualitative feedback highlighted enjoyment and clarity alongside issues with progress tracking between missions, navigation on mobile devices, and task submission reliability. The main contribution is a set of empirically grounded, context-sensitive design principles linking concrete interface and task-design decisions to perceived usability, motivation, and real-world usage patterns in constrained school settings. Full article

This study examines a seven-week informal familycentric rocketry pilot program designed for Latina girls in grades 5 and 6 and their parents. Grounded in Community Cultural Wealth and Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy, the program integrated Family Problem-Based Learning to position families as co-educators in science learning. Through activities such as designing NASA-style mission patches, constructing egg-drop devices, and launching rockets, the program sought to center family knowledge, bilingual practices, and cultural values within physical science experiences. Data reported here were collected through mid- and post-program surveys with both parents and daughters. Responses indicate strong engagement from families, with parents reporting increased high confidence in supporting their daughters’ science learning and daughters expressing enjoyment and strong interest in science learning. Both groups valued the use of English and Spanish and the program’s emphasis on collaborative, family-centered participation. Responses highlight the potential of culturally sustaining, familycentric approaches to address the underrepresentation of Latina women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) by fostering a sense of belonging. This study contributes to informal science education by demonstrating how families can be centered in a program focused on physical science. School-based outreach of this kind may also strengthen families and parent–child relationships. Full article

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) is essential for the development of 21st-century skills, particularly in a world driven by technological innovation. However, in vulnerable school contexts, access to meaningful STEM experiences remains limited. This study addresses this issue through the design and implementation of a didactic strategy in a public high school in Bogotá, Colombia, based on two educational resources: the BioSen electronic board, which is compatible with Arduino technology and designed to acquire physiological signals such as electrocardiography (ECG), electromyography (EMG), electrooculography (EOG), and body temperature; and the Space Exploration instructional guide, which is organized around contextualized learning missions. This study employed a quasi-experimental mixed-methods design that combined pre–post perception questionnaires, unstructured classroom observations, and a contextualized knowledge test administered to three student groups. Findings demonstrate that after eight weeks of implementation with upper secondary students, the strategy had a positive impact on the development of 21st-century skills, such as creativity, computational thinking, and critical thinking. These skills were assessed through a mixed quasi-experimental design combining perception questionnaires, qualitative observations, and knowledge evaluations. Unlike the control groups, students who participated in the intervention adjusted their self-perceptions when facing real-world challenges and showed progress in the application of key competencies. Overall, the results support the effectiveness of integrating low-cost biomedical tools with gamified STEM instruction to enhance higher-order thinking skills and student engagement in vulnerable educational contexts. Full article

This study examines the renewal of Ignatian spirituality from the Spanish school, emphasizing the contributions of General Pedro Arrupe during his eighteen-year tenure leading the Society of Jesus. Arrupe’s vision prioritized deep interior experience over mere religious practices, advocating for a spirituality rooted in divine gift and surrender. His leadership inspired a return to the fundamental principles of Ignatian spirituality, marked by a profound sense of God’s presence, self-offering, and a commitment to the apostolic mission. The research is organized around three main axes: textual and exegetical, historical and contextual, and systematic or dogmatic Ignatian theology. The first axis explores the contributions of scholars like Antonio María de Aldama and José Calveras, who emphasized returning to the original Ignatian texts and their exegetical significance. Their work highlighted the centrality of Christ, the spiritual exercises as a transformative tool, and the dynamic relationship between mission and identity within the Society. The second axis focuses on historical and contextual analysis, particularly through the work of Cándido de Dalmases, Ricardo García-Villoslada, and Jesús Iturrioz. These scholars reassessed Ignatius of Loyola’s biography and historical influences, moving beyond hagiographical narratives to consider broader theological and social movements of the 16th century, such as Erasmus’ humanism and the Catholic Reformation. The third axis, systematic Ignatian theology, is examined through figures like Pedro de Leturia and Ignacio Iparraguirre, who explored the doctrinal dimensions of Ignatius’ writings. Key themes include the Christocentric nature of Ignatian spirituality, the role of discernment in governance, and the balance between mysticism and apostolic mission. This research underscores the ongoing relevance of Ignatian spirituality by contextualizing its renewal within historical, exegetical, and theological frameworks, demonstrating its adaptability and enduring significance in contemporary spiritual discourse. Full article

This study explores the implementation of gamification as an instructional strategy to support the learning of whole numbers in a rural Colombian school with limited technological resources. The intervention involved 23 sixth-grade students who participated in a Genially based digital escape room titled “Agent 00+7.” The activity was structured around five missions designed to foster motivation, collaboration, and active participation. A survey instrument encompassing five dimensions—motivation, role performance, task completion, learning/interaction, and gro integration—was administered across all missions, producing 180 valid responses. The instrument demonstrated strong internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.872). Data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA, revealing significant mission-level variations in students’ perceived motivation, role performance, task completion, and integration, while learning/interaction remained stable. These outcomes suggest that gamified digital environments may shape students’ perceptions of engagement and teamwork, even in resource-constrained settings. Although the results are exploratory and descriptive, given the absence of a control group or pre–post comparison, they provide preliminary evidence of the feasibility and pedagogical promise of gamification in rural educational contexts, contributing to the advancement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 4, 9, and 10. Full article

The nature of Catholic schools is ever-changing, as they increasingly draw upon young people from a wide variety of social, cultural and religious backgrounds. This has often impacted upon religious instruction and people’s commitment to and support of the mission and ecclesial identity of the school. For the greater part, Catholic schools are pluralistic in nature. This diversity has become more pronounced in recent decades with the emergence of cultural postmodernity, characterized by a significant shift in people’s core values, and their religious beliefs and practices. Catholic schools can effectively respond to these challenges, and to the diversity of their own communities through the provision of a robust Religious Education curriculum that is engaging, promotes dialogue and is characterized by quality pedagogical practices. Through the integration of the Liberal Arts, Sydney Catholic Schools found that Religious Education can be enriched by the search for ‘truth, beauty and goodness’, which represents a dialogue with the divine. Full article

As the population of multilingual learners identified as English learners (ELs) grows in the United States, it is critical that education leaders are equipped to create school environments that are affirming and welcoming with high expectations for these students and their families. Nationwide, 10.4% or 5.1 million students were classified as EL in 2019. The state of California has the largest EL student population in the nation at 19.1%. This qualitative study explores the experiences of 25 school and district leaders in the Central Coast of California in their educational leadership preparation programs. Document review and critical content analysis were conducted of educational leadership preparation program websites including the course requirements, testimonials and mission statements. Leaders predominantly attended preparation programs at public universities that are Hispanic Serving Institutions. While they were interested in learning technical skills like education law and budgeting, they found it helpful to learn about a variety of topics such as instructional coaching and data analysis. However, they did not feel that there was enough of a focus on the needs of multilingual learners. This article examines how we might strengthen educational leadership preparation so that programs more effectively center the needs of multilingual learners as well as candidates’ identities as a resource. Full article

It is well-established that principal leadership significantly influences student learning in developed countries, yet much less is known about how leadership practices manifest in complex systems like China’s, where rapid modernization intersects with deep-rooted educational traditions. In particular, Chinese principals face multiple challenges in balancing the implementation of educational reform policies, high parental expectations, and their own educational ideology, all within limited resources. The current study examines these challenges in Shenzhen, a city which typically manifests them through its rapid development. Specifically, we took a phenomenographic approach and interviewed the principals and staff from five prestigious primary schools to extract the key components behind the diverse school leaders’ styles and practices. Results showed that, the Chinese leadership practice model consists of five key components: mission setting, infrastructure reconstruction, teacher development, learning improvement, and educators’ networking. Although the first four components in this model align with established theories in developed countries, networking was identified as a distinctive and critical element for securing resources and fostering collaboration. These findings may broaden the scope of leadership theories and underscore the need to contextualize leadership practices based on local challenges and dynamics. It also offers practical insights for school leaders on navigating challenges to improve teacher and student outcomes. Full article

This study focuses on Richard Wilhelm (1873–1930), a German Protestant missionary, employing archival research methods to examine his experiences in China and his contributions to the dissemination of Christianity. After arriving in Qingdao (青島) in 1899, Wilhelm adopted a missionary approach that was relatively new to the German missionary community. Under the influence of the theory of “direct Christianity”, he focused on “cultural evangelism” in an effort to establish a non-dogmatic Chinese Christianity. By establishing modern schools and hospitals, he played a pivotal role in fostering reconciliation between Christian and non-Christian communities in China, thereby enhancing the legitimacy of Christian educational institutions within the indigenous educational framework. Furthermore, through extensive dialogues with both intellectual elites and ordinary citizens, Wilhelm demonstrated that traditional Confucian values are not inherently in conflict with Christian teachings. His missionary endeavors thus promoted the indigenization of Christianity in China and significantly facilitated Sino-German cultural exchange. Full article

Fifty million Americans, nearly 15% of the population, live below the federal poverty level, often facing civil legal issues without representation. Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) have long served as economic engines and vital resources for their communities. HBCU law schools uphold this legacy by preparing students for legal careers while instilling a commitment to service, particularly for underserved citizens who lack access to quality legal representation. This research examines the dual mission of HBCU law schools—educating students and serving local communities—through a systematic document analysis of publicly available materials and literature on law school clinical programs. The findings identify four key community performance indicators that define the community impact of HBCU law schools: advocacy, engagement, client outcomes, and representation. These indicators reflect a shared commitment across all institutions to addressing systemic inequities through clinical legal education, reinforcing the role of HBCU law schools as both training grounds for future attorneys and essential pillars of justice in their communities. Full article